Spring-y Things

Good morning and happy Saturday. I'm writing you a day early because I assume most of you will be occupied tomorrow, either doing something religious or digging around in grass looking for chocolate. (Such an odd juxtaposition of totems around this holiday). Before the recs, some news!

This coming Friday, I will travel to Stamford, CN to compete in the American Crossword Puzzle Tournament. I am really, really good at solving crosswords but after watching Wordplay a couple of weeks ago (bonus rec! very entertaining!), I learned that about 700 other people in the country are also really, really good and I have my work cut out for me. If nothing else, it will be fun and I will meet some fascinating people. (Also I will be flying back to Austin possibly along the trajectory of the eclipse so that could be amazing.)

Multiple friends have asked to be kept updated on my adventures next weekend, so I'll be posting updates on my newsletter site. I will not email these updates, so if you want to stay in the loop, check back often. And wish me luck.

🎥 Problemista (in theaters)
I can't remember the last time I grinned so much during a movie. Written and directed by the delightful Julio Torres, this is an hour and 45 minutes of sheer joy, with the added bonus of spotlighting the labyrinthian path immigrants must navigate in the US. Tilda Swinton is at her most Tilda Swinton-est, which is really saying something. Judging from all the people who said, "You're seeing what?" to me, this movie is flying too far under the radar. Go see it!

📺 Palm Royale (Apple TV+)
Kristen Wiig, Laura Dern, Allyson Janney, Carol Freaking Burnett. Set in 1960s Palm Beach. Do you even need to know the plot? No you don't.

📖 The Pink Hotel
When I finish writing this, I am diving directly back into this book. It's frothy and full of obnoxious rich people and the hangers-on that aspire to be them. Set in the barely veiled Beverly Hills Hotel, the story has extra juice because apocalyptic chaos is erupting in greater Los Angeles as hotel guests party gleefully within its walls. I can't wait to see what happens.

No newsletter next Sunday but hopefully lots of updates from Crossword Nerdland. Send me all your wordiest good thoughts.

Please accept my gift of Peep dioramas.